Portable duck blind



M. N. STANLEY PORTABLE DUCK BLIND Filed Nov. 14, 1955 q J M 2,816,29? IPatented Dec. 17, 1957 i ll PORTABLE DUCK BLIND Malcolm N. Stanley,Newton, Mass., assiguor to The Porta Company, Inc., Canton, Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Application November 14, 1955, Serial No.546,526

Claims. (Cl. 9-5) This invention relates to a blind for concealing agame or fowl hunter, and has for its objects to provide a collapsibleand portable blind whose light weight-is'commensurate with that of theusual equipment carried bythe hunter, and which may be quickly erectedon land or in a boat.

According to the invention the blind comprises a framework having'anarch portion, a netting having marginal portions forming an openingtherebetween, said netting havinggrass-simulating material attachedthereto and distributed thereover, and means-to secure the netting tothe frame, covering the frame, and with said opening disposed at thearch side of the frame so that the occupant of the blind issubstantially covered overhead without obstruction in said arch andopening. Preferably the'framework comprises upper and lower spacedsupports to which the netting is secured with the opening disposedbetween said supports.

Further according to the invention the blindin'cludes a coveringcomprising a web of coarse netting having spaced strands and a pluralityof bunches of grass-simulating material distributed over the netting andattached to the strands of the netting by a fastener encompassing boththe strands of the material and of the netting.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment is shown in theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a blindincluding a frame work erected in a boat and covered by a netting;

Figs. 2 and 3 are isometric views of the framework;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the blind assembled in the boat partsbeing shown in sections; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a fragment of the covering.

In the figures the blind is shown assembled in an elongate, collapsibleboat such as that shown in my United States Patent No. 2,529,745. Theblind comprises the framework portions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, includinga relatively low rail 2 and a relatively high frame 3. The rail 2includes end members 21 and 24 and cross members 22 and 23 formed ofaluminum tubing and jointed by means of tongues 25 of reduced diameterfitting snugly within the tubes. Directed downwardly from the endmembers 21 and 24 are pins 26 and 27 adapted to fit in the oarlock holesof a boat B provided with tubular ribs R and a skin S forming a gunwaleG around the boat. The pins 26 and 27 may be inserted in the hollow endsof the ribs R and the rail may be extended or compressed at the joint 25so that the pins 26 and 27 are aligned with the oarlock holes of theboat illustrated or a conventional boat. The upper or relatively higherframe portion 3 comprises an arch portion including jointed aluminumtube members 31, 32 and 33 and a rearwardly extending leg comprisingmembers 34, 35 and 36 telescopingly connected by detachable joints suchas a pin 39 of reduced diameter which is secured to one of the tubularmembers and fits in the hollow end of the adjacent member. The lower endof the arch legs and of the rearwardly extending leg are fitted withrubber ferrules 38. The juncture of the rear leg and arch is secured bya wing bolt 37 passing through the tubular members 33 and 34. The upperframe portion 3 is adapted to be set on a flat surface, on the membersof a conventional boat, or as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 maybe wedgedbetween the gunwales of a collapsible boat of the typedescribed.For'this purpose the arch legs including members 31 to 33 are formed ofaluminum stock sufliciently light to be flexible so that the legs of thearch may be sprung between the gunwales. If desired the rear leg'm'ay'be secured to one of the ribs of the boat by a line L. The lower andupper frame portions 2 and 3 may be completely disassembled forconvenience in carrying.

The covering for the framework 23 comprises a web ly one to two inchesapart. I have found that a very inconspicuous blind-may be made byattaching strands 12 of grass like material such as 'rafiia in bunchesto the individual strands 11 of the netting by means of staples 13. Ifthe bunches of rafiia strands are distributed over the entire netting ablind covering is provided which does no have the unnatural appearanceof an opaque covering.

According to my'invention the netting 1 comprises marginal portions 14which form an opening 15 somewhat off the center *of the 'netting 1, andclips 16 are attached adjacent the opening 15 for securing the nettingto the frame by looping the clips or the netting to which they areattached around the crossbar of the rail 2 and the arch of the frameportion 3, with the opening 15 disposed between'the arch and the rail.The remainder of the'netting or marginal portions are disposed over theframe 3 and rail 2 and thence over theg unwales G of the boat B.Preferably the netting is extended to the waterline W of theboat Bandthe edge of the netting tightened around the boat by means of a pursestring 17 woven through the strands 11 of the netting at the edgethereof. An overhead cover for the body of the huntsman' occupying theboat is thereby provided while still allowing an unobstructed openingthrough the arch and netting opening 15 for observation or shooting. Ifthe need arises for rowing the boat from one point of concealment toanother the rail 2 may be lifted out of the oarlock holes in the ribs Rtemporarily without disturbing the attachment of the netting 1 to therail by means of the clips 16.

I claim:

1. A portable blind comprising a frame having an arch portion, a nettinghaving an overhead portion and marginal portions extending around theperiphery of the netting, said overhead and marginal portions forming agenerally upwardly extending opening oif center of the netting, saidnetting having grass-simulating material attached thereto anddistributed thereover, and means to secure the netting to said framecovering the frame and with said opening disposed at the arch side ofthe frame, the marginal portions adjacent said opening extending aboutthe lower end of the arch so that the occupant of the blind issubstantially covered overhead without obstruction in said arch andopening.

2. A portable blind comprising a frame having relatively high and lowspaced supports, the high support forming an arch, a netting having anoverhead portion and marginal portions extending around the periphery ofthe netting, said overhead and marginal portions forming a generallyupwardly extending opening off center of the netting, said nettinghaving grass-simulating material attached thereto and distributedthereover, and means to secure the netting to said respective supportswith the netting covering the frame and with said opening-disposedbetween said supports at the arch side of the frame, the marginalportions adjacent said opening extending about the lower end of the archso that the occupant of the blind is substantially covered overheadwithout obstruction in said arch and opening.

3. A portable shooting blind for a boat comprising a frame ofdisjointable aluminum tubing having legs resting in one portion of theboat, two of said legs forming an arch transversely of the boat and saidtubing being resilient so as yieldingly to hold the legs against thesides of the boat, a coarse netting having strands of grass-simulatingmaterial attached to the trands of the netting in bunches distributedclosely over the netting, said netting having an overhead portion andmarginal portions extending around the periphery of the netting, saidoverhead and marginal portions forming a generally upwardly extendingopening off center of the netting, and means for securing the netting tosaid arch with said peripheral portions covering the frame and gunwalcsof the boat and with said opening disposed adjacent said arch themarginal portions adiacent said opening extending about the lower end ofthe arch so that the occupant of the boat is substantially coveredoverhead without obstructing shooting through said arch and opening.

4. A portable shooting blind for a boat having spaced oarlock holes inits gunwales, comprising a relatively high frame of disjointablealuminum tubing having legs resting in one portion of the boat, two ofsaid legs forming an arch transversely of the boat, a rail oftelescoping aluminum tubing having at opposite ends downwardly directedpins for insertion in said oarlock holes, said rail being extensible toregister the pins with the holes, a coarse netting having strands ofgrass-simulating material stapled to the strands of the netting inbunches distributed closely over the netting, said netting having anoverhead portion and marginal portions extending around the periphery ofthe netting, said overhead and marginal portions forming a generallyupwardly extending opening off center of the netting, and means forsecuring the netting to said rail and arch with said netting coveringthe rail, frame and gunwales and with said opening disposed between saidarch and rail, the marginal portions adjacent said opening extendingabout the lower end of the arch so that the occupant of the boat issubstantially covered overhead without obstructing shooting through saidarch and opening.

5. A portable shooting blind for a boat having spaced oarlocl; holes inits gunwales, comprising a relatively high frame of disjointed aluminumtubing having legs resting in one portion of the boat, two of said legsforming an arch transversely of the boat, a rail of telescoping aluminumtubing having at opposite ends downwardly directed pins for insertion insaid oarlock holes, said rail being extensible to register the pins withthe holes, a coarse netting having strands of grass-simulating materialstapled to said strands of the netting in bunches distributed closelyover the netting, said netting having an overhead portion and marginalportions extending around the periphery of the netting, said overheadand marginal portions forming a generally upwardly extending opening offcenter of the netting, means for securing the netting to said rail andarch with the netting covering the rail, frame and gunwales and withsaid opening disposed between said archl and rail, the marginal portionsadjacent said opening extending about the lower end of the arch so thatthe occupant of the boat is substantially covered overhead Withoutobstructing shooting through said arch and opening, and a purse stringat the edge of said marginal portions for securing the netting at thewaterline of the boat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS550,762 Murphy et al. Dec. 3, 1895 600,272 Seymour Mar. 8, 18981,138,319 Rydell May 4, 1915 1,396,063 Schmidt Nov. 8, 1921 2,278,898Schofield Apr. 7, 1942 2,474,031 Burns Jan. 9, 1946 2,513,764 Vonder AheJan. 10, 1947

